A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electrical cooling systems, and more particularly, to the control and redundancy of airflow across a plurality of electrical boards and components thereon.
B. Background of the Invention
Heat dissipation devices and technologies are well known in the art and oftentimes critical to the functioning of electrical systems. For example, heat dissipation systems, such as fan systems, are being deployed within storage systems in order to maintain electrical boards, and the components thereon, within a preferred temperature range.
As a result of improvements in semiconductor design and manufacturing, electrical systems, such as controller and processing systems, are able to process large amounts of data at relatively higher clock rates. The electrical components within these systems can generate a large amount of heat, which needs to be dissipated away from these components in order for them to maintain a preferred temperature range in which these components function properly.
The component density and size of electrical systems, and large amount of heat generated by components within these systems, has and continues to affect the cooling systems used to dissipate this heat. For example, certain complex electrical systems may present problems for cooling systems because of the board shape on which the system is located or the component locations on the board. Issues, such as maintaining an appropriate level of airflow or redundancy within the cooling system, may require that a cooling system meet certain performance standards as well as size requirements so that it can properly cool its corresponding electrical system.
One skilled in the art will recognize the potential damage caused by overheating electrical components, such integrated chips. Electrical components, such as for example a processor, can often generate large amounts of heat during normal operation. This heat may damage the processor, as well as components around the processor, and result in instability or failure of the system in which the processor is located. It is therefore very important that the cooling system effectively dissipate this heat away from heat-generating components and that this dissipation process have a level of redundancy to ensure its reliability.
Cooling systems come in various shapes and sizes, and may contain numerous different components. For example, cooling systems may comprise different heat dissipating elements such as fins, fans, heat exchangers, heat sinks and radiators, and water jackets. In the case of cooling fan systems, a fan may is used to create airflow across one or more electrical components to transport heat away from the components generating the heat. Cooling fan systems may be used in conjunction with other heat dissipating elements depending on the design and implementation of the system.
These cooling fan systems may employ multiple fans within the system. The location and control of such multi-fan systems is crucial to providing the most effective heat dissipation across an electrical board or boards. Space constraints and airflow are often significant issues that need to be addressed when designing a cooling system for a corresponding electrical system.
The proper maintenance of temperature within an electrical system box (e.g., a storage controller box) may present difficulties in maintaining consistent means for dissipating the heat generated therein. A cooling system is often required to operate in a very confined space, provide sufficient airflow across the controller board, and have failover redundancy in case a component in the cooling system fails. In typical prior art embodiments, a fan provided airflow across a single controller board. Airflow from the fan dissipated heat generated from electrical components on the board in order to maintain a preferred operating temperature within the controller box and/or electrical components therein. If the fan failed, a failure message was generated so that the fan may be replaced within the system. These prior systems were generally less sensitive to heat and/or operated at a lower temperature so that the time required to recognize and correct a failed fan typically did not damage the electrical system or components.
Electrical systems, such as controller boards, have become more sensitive to heat and may operate at higher temperature levels. As a result, there is not a time buffer that allows for manually replacing a fan when it fails. In these newer systems, if a failed fan is not immediately replaced, components within the system may be damaged. For example, many controllers operate at relatively higher power levels and clock speeds, which continually generate large amounts of heat that require uninterrupted airflow to reduce this heat. If this airflow is interrupted for a brief period of time, components within the controller system may be damaged.
Accordingly, what is desired is systems, devices and methods that address the above-described concerns.